COLES COUNTY

84 Pages·2017·32.15 MB·English

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Aikman Wildlife Adventure............22 Communities & Attractions Robinson.......................................56
Amish Of Illinois............................11 Springfield.....................................72
Arcola............................................18 Sullivan..........................................34
Arthur............................................25 Edgewood Buggy Shop....................8 Litchfield.......................................71 Tuscola..........................................36
Bement..........................................46 Effingham......................................58 Marshall........................................54 Vandalia........................................68
Bloomington..................................64 Fairbury.........................................76 Mattoon.........................................42 Watseka........................................79
Casey.............................................52 Greenup.........................................48 Monticello.....................................44 Wineries, Central Illinois..............82
Charleston.....................................40 Greenville......................................66 Oakland.........................................39
Chesterville...................................32 Illinois Amish Heritage Center......17 Paris..............................................38 Published by
Clinton...........................................50 Jacksonville...................................70 Parke County, IN...........................83 Rankin Publishing
Crawford County...........................56 Jerseyville.....................................74 Pike County...................................64 [phone]
Decatur.........................................61 Lake Shelbyville............................47 Pontiac..........................................65 [email protected]
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For every stage of life...
From special events, conferences, weddings and family gather-
ings to selecting your beautiful new apartment, be a part of the
vitality and tradition of the Green Mill Village Development.
Located at the Gateway to Central Illinois’ Amish Country in
Arcola, Illinois, this mixed-use development brings together
destination and regional travelers to a community with a vibrant
future.
www.gmvdevelopment.com
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221177..226688..55000000
217.268.3516
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Fantasy Suites
FEATURING:
A fun & relaxing way to unwind from a busy life.
Visit our website for an online tour at
www.sunsetinnandsuites.com
100 Sunrise Court • PO Box 498
Clinton, IL 61727
Arabian Nights Roman Retreat Pearl Under The Sea Space Odyssey

• Fri-Sat or Holiday $260 (

Wine & Roses Hawaiian Waters Crystal Cave South Of The Border

• email: [email protected]
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Starlight Glacier Safari Adventure Rain Forest Cabin Fever

RATES FOR THE NEW SAFARI ADVENTURE SUITE AND STARLIGHT GLACIER SUITE
Sun-Thurs $195 • Fri-Sat or Holiday $260 (tax included)
W ! Game Room
NON-SMOKING SUITES N E
24-Hour Pool, Spa, Sauna & Steam Room
WALK IN SWIMMERS WELCOME - $6.50 Per Person

Prices, Special Offers Expire Dec. 31, 2018
Sunday-Thurs: $162
Call now for gift certificates or to reserve your special date:
Fri-Sat or Holiday: $230
((221177)) 993355-- 44114400
(tax included)
SMOKING SUITES: De-smoke Requests Available
www.sunsetinnandsuites.com • email: [email protected]
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Prices, Special Offers
Expire Dec. 31, 2018
Aikman Wildlife Adventure..............22 Greenville........................................66 Sullivan............................................34
Amish Of Illinois..............................11 Illinois Amish Heritage Center........17 Tuscola............................................36
Arcola..............................................18 Jacksonville.....................................70 Vandalia..........................................68
Arthur..............................................25 Jerseyville.......................................74 Watseka..........................................79
Bement............................................46 Lake Shelbyville..............................47 Wineries, Central Illinois................82
Bloomington....................................64 Litchfield.........................................71
Casey...............................................52 Marshall..........................................54
Charleston.......................................40 Mattoon...........................................42
Chesterville.....................................32 Monticello.......................................44
www.discovercentralillinois.com
Clinton.............................................50 Oakland...........................................39
Published annually by
Crawford County.............................56 Paris................................................38 Rankin Publishing, Inc.
Decatur...........................................61 Parke County, IN.............................83 204 E. Main St. • P.O. Box 130, Arcola, IL 61910
Phone [phone] • Fax [phone]
Edgewood Buggy Shop......................8 Pike County.....................................64
[email protected]
Effingham........................................58 Pontiac............................................65 Publishers of: Broom, Brush & Mop Magazine
Maintenance Sales News Magazine
Fairbury...........................................76 Robinson.........................................56
Busline Magazine
Greenup...........................................48 Springfield.......................................72 Discover Central Illinois Magazine
PAGE 6| 2018 Discover Visitor & Vacation Guide To Central Illinois
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Buggy Builder Serves East Central Illinois Amish
By Rick Mullen, brothers who could help Dad on the farm.”
Discover Central Illinois Mr. Chupp’s grandfather was retired
Associate Editor from farming and owned and operated a
buggy shop. So, in the early 1970s, young
erhaps the most enduring image of Howard went to work for him.
Amish life in America is the horse- “He called it a buggy shop, but it was
P
drawn buggy. Buggies are more more of a general repair shop,” Mr.
than just a means to get around for the Chupp said. “He did a lot work on horse-
Amish. They are a real-time symbol of a drawn machinery. He welded, changed
slower pace of life, which values close, broken equipment tongues — that kind of
strong family ties. To the delight of the stuff. He also built buggies on the side.”
many thousands of tourists who visit Illi- Howard helped with some equipment
nois’ largest Amish community in and work and changed a buggy tongue now
around Arthur, IL, located 10 miles west and then, but his primary task was getting
of Interstate 57 off exit 203 in east central Family buggy wheels ready for his grandfather to repair.
Illinois, the traditional black buggies are a “In those days, buggy tires were made
common sight. of steel, rather than rubber, like they are
Buggies, like automobiles, break down and need to be repaired. In ad- today,” Mr. Chupp said. “Every two to three years, wheels became so loose
dition, new buggies are needed for expanding families, and as children from vibrations caused by the steel tires, they had to be re-tightened. There
grow up and need their own mode of transportation. In many Amish com- were always piles of wheels that had to be repaired.”
munities there is at least one buggy shop to meet the needs of the residents. Between each spoke, there was a bolt that needed to be knocked out.
One such business is the Edgewood Buggy Shop, owned by Howard Mr. Chupp remembered how amazed he was, as a young boy, at how tight
Chupp, located at 604 E. County Road 200N, about two miles west of Ar- bolts became after rusting in place for two or three years.
cola, IL, and a few miles southeast of Arthur. “It was my job, with a punch and a hammer, to try to knock the bolts
out after I got the nuts off,” Mr. Chupp said.
HOW THE EDGEWOOD BUGGY SHOP CAME TO BE As a 15-year-old, trying to wield a big hammer and punch to hit his tar-
Most of Howard Chupp’s generation grew up on farms. Howard, the eldest get took a toll on his fingers and knuckles, when he missed.
of eight children, grew up on a farm, as well. “It was hard, nasty work,” Mr. Chupp remembered.
“At about 15 years old, I was expendable,” Mr. Chupp said. “I had younger After Howard completed his tasks, his grandfather took over, because,
making a wheel is an art unto itself. Howard worked for his grandfather
for about a year and a half, and decided to move on and find other work.
“I walked out of his shop thinking I was done with buggy work. I was
kind of tired of it,” he said.
In the early 1990s, while working at a local lumber yard, Mr. Chupp
began looking for a business to get into, where he could work at home with
FAMILY his two eldest sons. He kept his eyes and ears open for any opportunities
that might arise. When he went to purchase a new buggy, a flicker of an
H EALTH FOODS opportunity presented itself.
“I needed a buggy with two seats. I went to order it and they told me it
would take two years to get it,” Mr. Chupp said. “My wife and I had three
– Established in 1973 –
children at that time, so our one-seat buggy was pretty full. By the time I
got the buggy two years later, we had four children. We were more than
(cid:115)Natural Herbal Remedies (cid:115)Gluten-Free Products
happy to have that new buggy.”
(cid:115)Whole Food Supplements (cid:115)Herbal Teas Mr. Chupp thought, if it take two years for delivery of a new buggy,
(cid:115)Liquid Herbal Formulas (cid:115)First Aid Supplies maybe there is enough demand to keep himself and his two sons, Daniel
and Marlin, busy working on buggies.
(cid:115)Fresh Farm-Raised Chickens (cid:115)Wisconsin Cheese “I thought, maybe I could build buggy tops, if I could get somebody to build
(Hormone-Free)
(cid:115)Gift Items the running gear, which is what car people call the chassis,” Mr. Chupp said.
(cid:115)Non-Toxic Soaps, Cleaners, As it turned out, one of Mr. Chupp’s neighbors could build running gears
Creams and Lotions (cid:115)Glassware
for him. Convinced that he could make a go of his new venture, Mr. Chupp
worked out a deal with his boss that he would quit over time, while easing
2008 CR 1800 E. (cid:115)1 Mile South of Arthur into his buggy business
VM: 217-543-3189 “I probably spent from six to eight months in that transition, until I was
HOURS: M-F 7AM to 5:30PM (cid:115)Sat. 7:30 AM to 4PM doing neither place justice,” Mr. Chupp said. “The amazing thing to me
was, when the word got out that I was going to have a buggy shop, I had
five orders before I even had the footer poured for the shop. This was be-
cause of the lengthy lead times.”
In April 1996, Mr. Chupp and his sons completed their first buggy. As
the business progressed, lead times were shortened. Unlike his grandfa-
ther’s business, Mr. Chupp farmed out repairs and focused on building new
buggies. Today, the business has evolved to also include repair jobs.
“Today, we build about 25 to 30 new units a year,” Mr. Chupp said.
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Edgewood Buggy Shop also completes from 12 to 20 major repair jobs end. He builds the tops for buggies at that location, transporting them to
each year. the Edgewood Buggy Shop when completed.
“What I call a major repair job is if we have to replace any wooden parts, “The complete buggy is built here. We build our own wheels, but I order
like the dash, or the side of the buggy. Changing the upholstery on the out- other parts, such as axles and springs — parts that would take a whole
side and paint jobs are also considered major repairs,” Mr. Chupp said. other industry to produce,” Mr. Chupp said. “The metal that is on a buggy,
“We also make a multitude of smaller re- we cut and drill to meet our needs.”
pairs, such as fixing a wheel or a broken The two most common styles of buggies
window. Maybe a buggy needs a brake made at Edgewood Buggy Shop are one-
tuneup, or something needs to be fixed in seat, enclosed buggies, and two-seat (front
the wiring — just all kinds of repairs, too and back) enclosed buggies with two doors
numerous to mention. on the side. A two-seat buggy is also know
“Every once in awhile, we have time to as a “family buggy.”
do a restoration, focusing on small doctor While black is the most common color
buggies and sleighs. We have restored a for buggies in various Amish communities,
number of sleighs.” including those in the Midwest, four other
colors are common in other areas.
BUGGIES HAVE EVOLVED TO According to www.amishamerica.com.,
INCLUDE MODERN TECH gray is used by the Lancaster County Amish
While horse and buggy transportation and its sister settlements. The Lancaster
One-seat
harkens back to the 1800s, denoting a churches comprise the largest Amish affili-
buggy
simpler and slower-paced lifestyle, behind ation, made up of around 300 congregations
the plain, black exterior of a buggy is a lot in eight states.
more technology than one might think. Today’s buggy maker must mas- A large Amish community in Wilmington, PA, and its related settlements
ter several skills. in Pennsylvania and New York, use brown-topped buggies.
“If you are a buggy builder, you have to be a metal worker, a painter, an White buggies are used by the Nebraska Amish. This group lives in
upholsterer, an electrician — there are a lot of different things you have to Pennsylvania (main settlement in Mifflin County), and in New York. The
learn to do,” Mr. Chupp said. “Nebraska” name comes from the home state of an early leader.
Mr. Chupp and his sons pretty much build buggies from scratch. One of Yellow-topped buggies are used by the Byler churches, found mainly in
his sons bought a property several years ago that had a cabinet shop. He Mifflin County, PA’s Big Valley settlement.
took what tools from the cabinet shop he would need for the buggy busi- Mr. Chupp estimated there are between 900 to 1,000 families in the
ness. He now lives in one end of the building, with his shop in the other Amish community surrounding Arthur and east to Arcola.
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“Depending on how many are at home, a family might have three or “With the brake lights, we are trying to make motorists aware the buggy
four buggies,” Mr. Chupp said. “I have three closed buggies. One is for our in front of them is going to do something — turn left or right or stop.”
youngest daughter, who is still living at home, and one is for my wife. I still At one time, Mr. Chupp installed only rear turn signals on buggies. He
have a buggy with two seats in case we have visitors and somebody wants later added a brake light.
to ride along. There could be 3,000 or more buggies in this area.” “The turn signal alone was not very effective. People ignored it and drove
Buggies without tops are popular in the summertime. These open top bug- around us,” Mr. Chupp said. “Adding the brake light feature was very, very
gies are not a necessity and, therefore, not every family owns one. effective. People pay attention.”
“An open top buggy can cost up to $4,000, and it is not something you Battery power is commonly used for the lights, however, other technolo-
have to have,” Mr. Chupp said. “I have a folding convertible top on mine. It gies are now available. Indeed, Mr. Chupp can install a solar panel in the
is a nice feature, as you are not sitting in the sun. The ‘basic’ buggy is an en- topof a buggy to power electronics.
closed buggy that you can use for anything you want to do.” Buggies come with two types of steering. What is called the “fifth wheel”
A basic, one-seat buggy, with brakes and LED lighting, costs an average is steering where the entire axle turns. Buffers are built on the sides of the bug-
of $7,000. gies to keep the wheels from rolling underneath. With an “auto steer” front
“Buggies must have taillights and lights on the front,” Mr Chupp said. end, only the wheels turn, as with an automobile. Auto steer has been available
“People are also starting to put ‘fog lights’ on their buggies. They are located for the past 10 to 15 years, Mr. Chupp said.
down on the axle.” “A high-end buggy is one that might have the option of an auto steer front
Buggies also come with turn signals. “There are small beehive lights on end, which is almost $600 higher that the standard fifth wheel,” Mr. Chupp
the dash that serve as turn signals on the front,” Mr. Chupp said. “An amber said. “It may have fiberglass wheels instead of wood, which are $600 a set
flasher on the back of a buggy is required by law, and must be flashing after higher. Adding more lights also makes the cost go up. In this area, a high-end
sundown. Many buggies also have brake lights. LED lights have greatly im- buggy may cost up to $10,000.”
proved the lighting features we offer. What about keeping warm during cold, Midwest winters?
“We usually install a bracket
on the front where people can
put a catalytic heater, with a
propane tank in the back,” Mr.
Chupp said.
Buggies also come with
windshield wipers.
How long will a buggy last?
Like other vehicles, a lot depends
on how the owner takes care of it.
“We have repaired buggies
that are 40 to 50 years old. Re-
cently, I repaired a buggy my
grandpa made,” Mr. Chupp said.
Of course, at times, Amish use
their buggies to go for a pleasure
spin through the countryside.
“Sometimes we might go to a
different location to church, out-
side our own district. If we go to
a neighborhood we don’t get to
very often, it is tempting, if the
weather is nice, to take the long
way home and see where new
places have sprouted up,” Mr.
Chupp said. “We would use a
regular buggy for that kind of
trip. If somebody has an open
buggy, it would be used for tak-
ing a pleasure spin to town to eat
out or get some ice cream.”
When traveling through
Am ish country, visitors should
be aware that photos should
not be taken of Amish people,
however, taking photos of
buggies is acceptable. The
Amish are friendly people,
so it is OK to wave hello at
a buggy passing by, and to
appreciate the craftsmanship
that goes into building one of
the most iconic symbols of
Amish life.
PAGE 10| 2018 Discover Visitor & Vacation Guide To Central Illinois